Magic
Magic is an essence that spans all of Thelania, utilized by the people, creatures and even environment of the world in varied ways. In the hands of the Races of Man magic is called forth in the shape of spells, while these may form the magic into a myriad of different purposes and results all of Mankind uses magic in a pre-sculpted form determined by the spell that they invoke. Races of Myth however such as Unicorns can summon raw unshaped magic and then bend it to their will with thought and emotion allowing for a much greater range of results but also posing a much more dangerous endeavor should it be used wrongly. Raw magic is wild and powerful, summoned in larger quantities than its wielder can utilize it can overwhelm the caster and cause physical harm or even death. Calling forth raw magic and failing to focus it into a usage can cause it to run rampant, starting fires or posing other risks. Spell Schools The Races of Man can call forth magic with the usage of specific spells to perform particular functions. While the power, purpose and method of each spell can vary from not only region but specific caster the general way that the magic is formed into a spell remains the same. Mankind are incapable of calling forth raw unshaped magic but have over the centuries of their long existence formulated a vast array of spells to suit their needs. While some mages may cast their spells with neither gesture, ingredient or incantation but simply concentrated thought some others make use of verbal or gestural triggers, components and catalysts to call forth the spell, often more powerfully. A great many implements have been created by Mankind to strengthen or focus their spellcraft such as wands and staves or grimoires from which to utilize a larger number of spells than another mage might know. Rituals are spells with intended long-term or permanent affects which require a considerably longer amount of time to cast and usually need components and an immense amount of magical energy, whether from one caster over many sessions or from multiple casters in a single sitting. A mage may utilize magic from any number and combination of the different schools of magic and their sub-types but it is not at all uncommon to see mages who give their focus solely to one kind of magic in order to master all of its spells and use it to its fullest potential. Arcane Magic While its name might imply it is a magic known by few Arcane Magic is actually some of the most common spellcraft around, its name likely a callback to days when casting magic was itself arcane and even such basic spellwork was rare and mysterious to Mankind. There are five primary varieties of Arcane magic, each governs over a particular element or similar which is used mostly for offensive based magics and is best utilized by casters of varying types whose personal traits match up best with the traits of that element. * Fire - Possibly the least stable of the elements, it is the one most commonly involved in accidents as it can be notably difficult to control in greater use. However, it is easily commanded by those who are just as wild as the element itself. Fire is a symbol of passion, those who cast off their fears and embrace life with boundless drive and determination are said to practically become one with fire, not so much commanding it as naturally working alongside it. * Ice - This element is distinctly stable, and thus it is best suited to mages of a calm and patient nature. Those who take the time to weave their spells like an art, and carefully calculate their attacks will find that ice magic can be used to accomplish astounding feats. The user must be creative, or they won't be able to utilize the element to it's fullest, and if they are impatient or rash, they will find their control over it to drop considerably, resulting in their efforts being next to useless - if they do manage to form ice, it will be brittle and shatter easily. Water is also a part of this category but is usually used for more utilitarian rather than offensive uses such as putting out fires as it would take a considerable amount of water to be wielded in a more offensive manner. * Lightning - Much like fire, this element is deemed highly unstable, but operates in a different manner. While the power of flame seems to scale with the ferocity of the user's wild willpower and their raw emotion, lightning seems to grant its power to those who are focused upon a particular goal such as redemption or vengeance. The greater their drive and ferocity, the more intense the thunder they command. In use, the wielder should focus upon their utmost desires, allowing those wishes to be focused into the form of lightning. One must cut a path to their ambitions, with thunder as their blade. Both focus and passionate resolve are required to master lightning, making it one of the more tricky elements to handle. Particularly driven and resolute individuals, such as knights for example, tend to be well-suited to this element. * Nature - Like ice, it is completely stable, and has many applications. Those who excel at harnessing this element are gentle, serene people, of kind and mellow natures. It's often a popular choice for new mages as it is widely considered the easiest of the primary magics to use. One may use it to miraculously heal wounds, or harmlessly trap enemies in order to escape them. Being humble and respectful of nature itself allows one to accomplish more than they otherwise could when controlling the element. Spells of this sort include using plants or earth against an opponent. * Aethyr - Aethyr is an non-aspected form of offensive magic, many describe it as magic in the rawest form that Races of Man can utilize. It is still sculpted into pre-determined spells as is all magic used by mankind, but it does not have an element attached to it like the other magics in the Arcane school and is best described as a burst of Aethyr; concentrated magic. Like other Arcane spells the variety of applications for this can range from a ball of aethyr akin to a fireball to beams of focused aethyr somewhat like lasers. There is a variety of Demon which can actually innately utilize a selection of Aethyr Magic spells without learning them or casting them in quite the same manner as most mages though they still are indeed spells, magic with a pre-determined outcome. Some few aethyr spells allow the caster to become temporarily stronger or faster or to enhance their weapon for a short time as well, being more utilitarian spells. Aethyr usually has a blue-white appearance, in small quantity being a cyan-blue and in larger amounts having a whitish center with blue edges. Illusion Magic A somewhat uncommon branch of magic this type of spellcraft includes, as one might expect, illusion based magics. Within this there are two schools which govern over different kinds of illusion based spells; Furtive and Semblance. * Furtive - This school of Illusion magic incorporates spells intended to hide and obscure things from others. From invisibility and its lesser variants to spells to conceal sounds or even simply to draw less attention to something this school is one which is little used by most mages and often difficult to master, with many of its spells requiring a constant drain on the casters resources to maintain. Using such magic is often likened to weaving as the user pulls together the threads of their power to bind the spell around the target. Spells such as invisibility are strong and difficult to maintain for long periods of time because the threads of the spell must be constantly maintained by the caster, remaining invisible for a long duration will completely deplete even the reserves of powerful and experienced casters. * Semblance - This kind of magic includes all manner of spells used to deceive viewers and listeners with false imagery and sounds. This school of magic can be another tricky one to learn well as the effects of every individual spell used are usually different. With its founding principal spells being visual or auditory Semblance magic can be used to temporarily create or alter the appearance of an object or person, or to throw or change a sound or voice. Though it can be used to a great amount of ends nothing created or changed by this magic is real or permanent and so it is often a little utilized school. Like Furtive magic this school requires large amounts of magic to use, illusions take a constant focus to maintain and one caster can rarely create and funnel forth the constant magic to keep more than one illusion going at a time. An illusionist can also not maintain a creation from too far away, while the exact distance may vary somewhat from caster to caster it is a well known fact that where there is an illusion the caster is somewhere nearby unless they are in possession of a rare and powerful focal point. Telekinesis Magic The spells in this school of magic are all intended to manipulate something without the caster touching it, this is accomplished in many ways but there are three particular sub-categories of Telekinesis magic; Manipulation magic, Expulsion magic, and Aegis or ward magic. (Note that this is magic and not any form of psionics which do not exist in Thelania.) * Manipulation - The spells of this type are rather varied but their goal is to manipulate an object or creature through use of magic without the caster touching it. Examples of spells of this sort are levitation spells, and spells to open or unlock doors. As with most magics these spells are hard to maintain and so are often used sparingly and briefly by casters, object manipulation is typically used in one go not constant and levitation is used in as short of bursts on as small of targets as possible to conserve magic energy. To levitate a spoon from one end of a room to the other would be a considerably easier task that to do the same with a full barrel or a person. * Expulsion - These are spells which exert force outward from some point, typically the caster, to expel objects and creatures away in an offensive manner. This can be achieved in a few different ways for which there are differing spells, from conical blasts in one designated direction to spherical bursts in all directions. Blasts are usually an instant and not constant force exerted, but the larger and stronger they are the more magical energy they require to cast. * Aegis - All of the spells of this sort are used to protect a target, usually the caster, from harm through means of a magical barrier that is not physically there. While a nature mage might try to bring up a wall of earth or vines to lessen a blow Aegis mages call forth wards of magical energy to thwart attacks. While the spells of this type are all rather similar to one another these shields can be conjured in differing sizes and strengths. The more powerful a blow the aegis spell must absorb the more magic it drains from its caster, likewise the larger it is the more fatiguing it is to maintain. The wards employed in the use of Aegis magic take the form of glowing purple glyphs, composed of magical energy that is manifested in the form of the caster's will to protect themselves and others. Dark Magic While these magics are not evil in and of their own, they are spells that are often mysterious and easily misunderstood and even misused. Such magics include Necromancy, Hexes and Voidal spells. * Necromancy - These spells come in many kinds but their purposes are invariably to reanimate the dead in some form. Trapping a soul, animating a soul-less corpse, and returning a soul to a dead body are all example of Necromancy. Generally Necromancy comes in two varieties, consenting and non-consensual, consenting necromancy is performed to return a soul to its dead body until such time as it wishes to release this bond. Non-consensual necromancy usually utilizes trapped souls bound back into a body until they are destroyed or the animation of a soul-less corpse. Both varieties are very taxing upon a caster and can be performed as a temporary or semi-permanent outcome, a ritual is required for long term necromancy and takes a considerable amount of magical energy, short term reanimation must be maintained by the caster. Necromancy can also be performed with no physical body for the soul, creating a ghost but such feats are very difficult and often comparably ineffective as ghosts are not well suited to most physical tasks. * Hexes - Hexes are lesser versions of Curses, used to temporarily weaken or otherwise hamper an opponent for a short time. These spells are not usually particularly powerful but are well suited to aiding in combat by confusing or impairing a foe in some manner such as sapping their strength or blinding them. All hexes are temporary and last only a matter of minutes on average, attempting to sustain a hex is very very draining upon a caster and will quickly deplete their magic energy. * Void - Summoning creatures of the Void to do the casters bidding these spells are varied and complex. Voidal magic can be used to temporarily conjure void creatures to fight for the caster or utilized to syphon the magical energy of others. This type of magic is typically dangerous and difficult to use effectively, requiring large amounts of energy or even pacts formed with those of the Void Realm to enlist their services long-term. Insight Magic This school of magic is a very rare and not well understood variety of spellcraft. Insight magic is not a type of magic that can be learned but is instead something that one is born with or else granted, very few throughout the many ages of Thelania have been able to utilize these magics but they are known to come in two types, Prophetic magic and Memory magic. While the two sorts may in some ways overlap they function differently and allow for different usages from one another. * Prophetic - This is a magic that can only be attained through birth, it is estimated that perhaps one in five thousand people in Thelania is born with Prophetic magic. Using such magic tends to have an incredibly heavy toll of magical energy and has even been known to kill if the seer is attempting to look too far beyond their limits. Young prophets will use their abilities often unwittingly and this can at times be dangerous, but for the most part they are not often prone to visions beyond their limitations unless they force them. Prophetic magic allows the caster to divine information and visions from the past, present or future, with the future being the most difficult and uncertain. Looking into the past can be tiring, the further back one wishes to see and the more clearly they desire to witness it the more energy it takes, typically looking into the present is not something that can be triggered intentionally and usually a prophet visited by a vision of something coming to pass elsewhere will be most likely to see someone close to them rather than strangers. Divining the future is a very complicated matter, for no future outcome is ever certain and attempting to look into the future and to see a possible outcome clearly is immensely taxing and all the more so the further into the future one tries to see. * Memory - Curses Category:Setting